The 145th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will take place outdoors today and tomorrow in Tarrytown, New York. Dog shows became famous during the Victorian Era and quickly spread from Great Britain around the world. America had its premiere dog show in 1877. The image below, featured in the February 29, 1916 Perth Amboy Evening News depicts the winners of the Westminster Dog Show held at Madison Square Garden. The dog at the top left is an English bulldog; at the top right is the dog that won the variety class; the dog on the bottom left is a champion Pomeranian; and next to it is a Russian wolfhound.
Due to the rising popularity of dog shows, people began placing dogs in classes based on breed. The image featured in the March 19, 1908 The Star and Newark Advertiser shows a clear division between mutts and purebreds.
The image below, featured in the December 15, 1909 Newark Evening Star and Newark Advertiser, shows some of the Saint Bernards that opened a two-day exhibition at the North Jersey Kennel Club.
(Contributed by Kristi Chanda)
Source:
The surprising history of Victorian dog shows. (2018, August 15). Retrieved from https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/the-surprising-history-of-victorian-dog-shows/